Today we’d like to introduce you to Rocky Reyna.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started playing music [drums] at the age of 11. My father played accordion and sang for a Conjunto band in South Texas for most of my upbringing, so that’s where I got my passion for music from. I’d go to his band’s rehearsals and would be excited to jump behind the drum kit when I could. I even became their “full-time” drummer for some time until they were able to find a new one. Through high school, I played music off and on with some of my friends, but sports mostly kept me busy. It wasn’t until my senior year in high school that they started a Guitar Ensemble program that I became a part of. That’s when I started playing {acoustic] guitar and got introduced to the bass guitar, Once I started playing bass, I knew that was the instrument I wanted to put my focus on. My Godfather was the bass player for the same Conjunto band my dad was playing in, and I remembered seeing how cool he looked playing the bass- standing there, plucking the guitar strings, swaying from side to side with his shades on. I felt like that was the vibe for me.
After high school, I joined my older brother Oscar in Austin, TX. At the time, he and a couple of his friends had a metal band and were in need of a bass player, so my brother bought me my first bass and had me move to Austin with him so that I could start playing with them. That project was short-lived but was the beginning of my music career in the Austin music scene. My brother would take me to a club called The Backroom where they showcased mostly rock/metal bands. He introduced me to some local musicians he knew, and I started creating relationships of my own.
After playing bass for a couple of rock bands in my early 20s that never really came to fruition, I hopped on Craigslist and came across an ad for a rock band that was looking for a bass player. I remember reaching out to them and expressing my interest in auditioning. I showed up at a storage facility in a pretty sketched-out part of East Austin where the band had their rehearsal space. After meeting the guys and sharing some of our personal musical influences, we went into a couple of songs that they had written. Afterwards, we spoke a bit more and they asked if I wanted to join them for a second rehearsal a few days later- I agreed. From then on, I became Exeter’s permanent bass player. We went on to record/release 2 albums and performed all over Texas and parts of the midwest and had a very short stint on an Indie record label before we disbanded in 2010.
Around that time, my brother and I had started playing together again. This time, I came to him with an idea of wanting to start an all-original Latin fusion band, where we combined cumbia, reggae, rock, and hip hop into one. He agreed to do this project with me and quickly started piecing the rest of the band together. Most of the band members were friends of mine that I had briefly played music with before. After a couple of months of writing and rehearsing, Este Vato started booking shows in Austin where we quickly got the attention of the crowd and talent buyers around town. In the almost 5 years of Este Vato’s existence, we recorded 3 EPs, 1 of which was officially released and titled “Jalapeño Business”. We played numerous festivals and shared the stage with some of Latin America’s biggest acts like Molotov, Calle 13, Los Enanitos Verdes, 3BallMTY, and others.
In 2014, my friend (and former Este Vato manager) Stephanie Bergara pitched the idea of playing a one-time Selena [tribute] set for a festival pre-party at Empire Control Room in Austin, TX. I agreed and helped her piece together a band for that show. What was supposed to be a one-time show has now become a 10-year run of US tours with Bidi Bidi Banda. Stephanie has done an amazing job of getting the band where we are at today, having toured all over the country and averaging 65 shows a year, with 72 shows in one year being our busiest year so far. The band is scheduled to retire at the end of this year [2024], as we are all moving on to pursue other musical projects.
Currently, I am in the writing and recording process of my solo debut album as a country artist. After filling in as a bass player with some of Austin’s country artists like Stephen Castillo and JD Clark, I decided it was time for me to flex my writing skills and become my own frontman. I’ve been lucky enough to meet and team up with some of Austin’s finest musicians that I’ve met through Austin’s two-step dance community. We are scheduled to enter the studio within the next month to record my next two singles. My first single was released back in January titled “Ashes to Gold”, an acoustic song where myself and my guitar write a letter to a former lover. The single was recorded and engineered by my good friend Rene Chavez at his home studio. Keep an ear out for my next two singles “I Won’t Miss the Pain” and “Right my Wrongs”, where I continue to tell my stories of self-growth, heartaches, and honky tonks.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Smooth road? No, but it’s been a fun one. I’ve struggled with the same obstacles and challenges that most musicians at my level encounter. Things like long nights of writing, rehearsing, and performing, long weeks on the road, being away from friends and family for extended periods of time. All part of the job, but I am learning to better navigate these obstacles to be able to elevate my quality of life, for myself and my loved ones.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I don’t know that luck has a whole lot to do with how my life has played out. I believe that we are all in full control of our journey and destiny. I believe that if you put the work in and show up for your people, you will reap the fruits of your labor. Work hard, play hard, love hard, and be a good person. Those are my biggest rules of life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockyreyna_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100080925573179&mibextid=ibOpuV
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0H7QQWUDZgxjbSgAK96xDf?si=KwvmcOSpRKuup3w3uQHg8w
Image Credits
Femmy Weijs Photography
Jay-Alan Baltierra
Brooklyn Yarsley
